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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29859063">Moving On</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maybe44/pseuds/Maybe44'>Maybe44</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hudson &amp; Rex (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Minor spoilers for season 3, charah - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:28:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,134</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29859063</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maybe44/pseuds/Maybe44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlie is finally moving on.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Charlie Hudson/ Sarah Truong</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Moving On</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Charlie getting a new home and the show not adressing this properly bothered me for a long time, so I already started this story a while ago. With the show having so many wonderful and amazing moments in the past episodes, it fell a little behind. However, I hate unfinished things in my drawers, so this is my take on house hunting.<br/>I've set the timeline for this story somewhere in the beginning of season 3. There will be a slight reference for S02E19.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Charlie!" Another case finally wrapped up, Sarah joined her friend and his canine partner at the SJPD coffee bar.</p><p>"Hey Sarah." The detective smiled warmly, "You ready to head home?"</p><p>"Oh, no no. Not yet. I still have to finish my report," she sighed, "So I urgently need another dose of caffeine and sugar."</p><p>Charlie grinned, knowing full well about her addiction to sweet coffee drinks, and handed her the coffee mug he already had prepared for her. She accepted it with a thankful smile.</p><p>Together they walked back to the bullpen, Rex leading the way.</p><p>"So, you work overtime today too?"</p><p>Charlie glanced at his watch, "Um, actually I just missed an appointment I've had this afternoon, so I'm free to stay in a bit longer now..."</p><p>"Oh, that's too bad. Something important?"</p><p>"Um, yeah, actually I am currently looking for a new home and had an appointment fixed with the realtor."</p><p>"Wow, that's great!" Sarah smiled, "I had no idea you were looking for a new place."</p><p>Charlie smiled sheepishly, "Um, yeah, you know, after my divorce I came back here and just needed a place to move into quickly. It's been over two years now when it shouldn't have been long-term in the first place."</p><p>Sarah chuckled, "Oh, I know just what you mean."</p><p>"Hey, the real estate agent has postponed the viewing until noon tomorrow. You could come with me, I could use a second opinion," he smiled hopefully at her, his blue eyes begging her to say yes.</p><p>Sarah smiled back, "Sure, I'd love to."</p><p>~~~</p><p>The next day Charlie picked Sarah up in the lab just as he had promised the day before. "Hey Sarah. You ready to go house hunting?"</p><p>Sarah immediately got up from her desk and grabbed her bag, "I am. This is going to be fun!"</p><p>Rex barked and led the way to the Dodge, where he jumped on the backseat to take up his usual spot.</p><p>Sarah used the short drive to ask Charlie about his preferences for a new home.</p><p>"Um, I was thinking it would be nice to have a larger place. You know, when I moved here I didn't plan to live with a big German shepherd permanently."</p><p>Rex whined softly and stuck his head between the front seats.</p><p>Sarah chuckled and stroked the dog's head, "Okay, a larger place, it is. Anything else?"</p><p>"Um, I don't know. I just want to move on I guess. When I came to St Johns back then, I was... um... angry and disappointed. I needed a place to crash. You've seen it for yourself, I never put much effort into decorating, but it was all I needed as a newly single man."</p><p>Sarah nodded slowly, surprised about him talking so openly about his past for once, "Yeah, I think I know what you mean."</p><p>"I'm at peace with my divorce now. In the end, it turned out all right," Charlie gave her a quick look, unsure whether to continue or not. "Everything happens for a reason, I guess," he added tentatively.</p><p>"That sounds a lot like <em>let fate take over</em>," Sarah smiled warmly.</p><p>Charlie grinned and shrugged, "May not be the worst, considering where it brought me."</p><p>Their eyes locked for a moment, before Charlie shyly averted his gaze, concentrating on the street again.<br/>
Absentmindedly, Sarah reached backwards and scratched Rex' ears, earning her some slobby dog kisses in return.</p><p>Laughing, they pulled up in front of a nice house on top of one of the hills of the city, at the end of a narrow street. Charlie stopped the car right next to the covered porch, in front of the spacious garage attached to the house.</p><p>Sarah climbed out of the car and opened the back door for Rex to jump out. Charlie smiled fondly. It made his heart beat just a tad faster whenever he saw Sarah so at ease with the dog being around all the time. Her enthusiastic voice ripped him out of his thoughts.</p><p>"Wow, Charlie, this place is <em>huge</em>! And look at this view!" She shielded her eyes from the sun and pointed towards the city and the bay, which lay picturesquely at their feet.</p><p>"Ah, Mister Hudson! Your wife seems to approve of your choice, that's a good thing, isn't it?" A well-dressed man in his fifties hurried up to them, shaking Charlie's hand in greeting, "We talked on the phone earlier. I'm Stephen Bradford, your real estate agent. Glad you could make it today!"</p><p>He turned towards Sarah, "So nice to meet you too, Mrs Hudson!"</p><p>Sarah blushed instantly, "Oh, I'm not... I mean, we are not married, we're not even..."</p><p>Bradford waved it off, grinning broadly, "Things can always change! Come in, come in... " He eagerly moved ahead and opened the front door invitingly.</p><p>Charlie chuckled slightly and shrugged, smiling coyly at Sarah. Oh, he definitely didn't mind her being taken for his wife. Judging from the amused smile playing on her lips, she wasn't excactly offended either. Therefore, they followed Bradford, Charlie guiding her inside with a hand at the small of her back. Rex strayed ahead, sniffing around in every corner.</p><p>Bradford showed them around and made sure to point out all of the benefits of the house in the most dazzling colors. Indeed, the house was beautiful. It was just as huge as it had looked from the outside, flooded with light thanks to the big windows and the spacious rooms.</p><p>Involuntarily Sarah's eyes lit up while scanning the now empty walls, thinking about how beautifully this place could be decorated with art on the walls. Charlie watched her furtively. Seeing her excitement gave him a warm and fuzzy feeling inside and he now realized how important it was to him that she liked the new house, since he was secretly hoping for her to spend a lot of time there as well in the future.<br/>
Enchanted by her sight, he only caught Bradford's last words "...and there is definitely enough room for whatever additions there may be to your family in the years ahead."</p><p>"Huh?" His eyes met hers, slightly embarrassed.</p><p>Again Bradford waved it off, "Ah, all in good time! You know, the owner of this place is a lovely old woman who pointed out that she would like best for a nice young family to take over this home. I'm pretty sure she would just love the thought of you starting a new family here!"</p><p><em>So would I</em>, Charlie thought to himself and Rex barked accordingly, as if reading his mind.</p><p>The ringing of his cell phone distracted Bradford for a moment. Sarah used the momentarily distraction to shove Charlie playfully in the side, "Don't you tell me you brought me here today just to have a better chance on snatching up this place!"</p><p>Charlie grinned back and whispered, "I had no idea or else I would have made you wear that fake baby bump from the Chelsea Waters case again."</p><p>She rolled her eyes at him and huffed, "Oh that! That might have been one of the most embarrassing moments in my whole life!"</p><p>"Dunno," he mumbled, "Actually, I loved that look on you."</p><p>Before she could get lost in his blue eyes shining with honesty, Bradford had ended his call.</p><p>"Sorry for the disturbance. Now, where were we? Ah, plenty of room for starting a family here," the realtor grinned broadly.</p><p>Feeling Sarah trembling with suppressed laughter next to him, Charlie gingerly put his arm around her shoulders and addressed the realtor, "Um, you're too kind. Actually, we haven't talked much about family planning... yet."</p><p>"Oh, I see. But since you're obviously moving forward by looking for a bigger home, it might not be so absurd at all," Bradford winked.</p><p>Rex barked approvingly, then turned several times on the spot and laid down with a sigh.</p><p>Unconsciously Sarah leaned closer into Charlie's shoulder, "Aww, look at Rex. I think he really likes this place."</p><p>Charlie fondly looked down at Sarah, "Yeah, he looks quite content here. How about you? Do you like this place?"</p><p>Sarah's eyes sparkled with joy, "Oh, I just love it! It's wonderful!"</p><p>"Yeah, I think it's perfect," Charlie agreed, his blue eyes shining happily.</p><p>"So that's a Yes?" Bradford asked.</p><p>"It is," Charlie confirmed.</p><p>"I am glad to hear that. So let us make an appointment to take care of the formalities the next days."</p><p>The appointment with the delighted realtor settled for the next week, they drove back to the SJPD.</p><p>Walking towards the bullpen, Charlie said, "Hey, thank you for coming with me today. I, um, I was thinking about ordering pizza later. Um, maybe you would like to join us?"</p><p>Sarah smiled warmly, "I'd love to."</p><p>"Great!" Charlie returned the smile, "See you later then."</p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>Later that evening Charlie and Sarah had shared their meal, with Rex, of course, and were settled comfortably on the couch, each of them a bottle of beer in their hands, the dog snoring between them, his head comfortably on Sarah's lap.</p><p>Sarah leaned her head on the backrest of the couch and let her eyes wander around while softly stroking Rex' fur, "Your new home will be amazing, but I have to admit, I'm going to miss this place."</p><p>Charlie chuckled, "Yeah, me to, sort of." His eyes landed on the picture Sarah had given to him once, the one with the dogs playing a game of poker. Memories came back, memories of the first times they had met in their spare time, of meeting up more frequently as time went by, at last hanging out regularly.<br/>
What started out as friendship had grown stronger. Undeniably, there was a bond between them and they had long become way more than just friends. Somehow, Charlie wished he had the strength to let it show what he truly felt for the beautiful woman next to him.<br/>
On the other hand, he did not in the least feel the need to rush things. They were setting their own pace; they were taking their time. Both had lived through good times and through bad times before, and what they had right now, their friendship on the verge of turning into so much more, felt just right.</p><p>"You know, it just feels right to move on," he mused and winked, "Rest assured that your picture will always have a place of honor, though."</p><p>Sarah chuckled, "Hear, hear," her eyes meeting his, "Well, you might even get another piece of art for housewarming from me."</p><p>He laughed softly, "Oh, I'd love that. Actually, I wanted to ask you whether you could help me with decorating the house anyway. I definitely need to put more care into the decor this time, or else it will turn into a men cave again."</p><p>"Oh, I sure know how to prevent that!" Sarah laughed before her look became serious again, "So, there's no hard feelings about your past anymore?"</p><p>For a moment, Charlie thought about the question, "Nah. You know, the divorce left me broken for a while. Now, there are no feelings at all, I'd say. It's a part of my history and I've healed. He" he ruffled Rex' fur, "helped me heal."</p><p>With Sarah's hand still resting on the dog's head as well, their fingers inevitably touched. When she didn't pull back, Charlie gently intertwined their fingers, "You helped me heal, too. Right now I'm getting closer to being happy again than I ever thought I might."</p><p>Sarah smiled warmly, squeezing his hand, "I'm glad to hear that."</p><p>They sat like that for a while, their hands still intertwined, until Sarah unsuccessfully tried to stifle a yawn, "I'd better head home before I fall asleep on your couch."</p><p>Charlie looked at her intently, "Well, I wouldn't mind."</p><p>She smiled coyly and shook her head, "You do realize that if I show up at work tomorrow in the same clothes I wore today, Jesse will never let us hear the end of it?"</p><p>"Yeah, you're right. In the new house you will definitely get some room for spare clothing in the closet," he mumbled, making Sarah laugh before carefully withdrawing her hand and heading for the door. Rex whimpered softly because he had lost his comfortable pillow with Sarah getting up.</p><p>Charlie got up as well, seeing her to the door. Whilst watching her get in the car, giving a last cheerful wave when she drove off into the night, he smiled happily.</p><p>He would move into a new home and he would move on into a new life. A life in which she would play an important role if it were up to him. Maybe it was finally time to bring this ship into the shore and throw away the oars forever.</p>
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